Charlie Sheen hopes to return to work by late February

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actor Charlie Sheen hopes to be finished with rehab and back on the set of his top-rated TV comedy "Two and A Half Men" by the end of February, his spokesman said on Thursday.

Production on the TV show, broadcast on CBS, was suspended after Sheen, 45, went into rehab at the weekend after being hospitalized following a reported 36-hour party at his home last week.

It has not been clear how long Sheen, who has a long history of alcohol and drug problems, would spend in rehab. But his spokesman Stan Rosenfield said on Thursday that the end of February was "the date that is being targeted, and hopefully will happen" for the actor's return to the "Two and A Half Men" set.

CBS and Warner Bros Television, which produces the most watched comedy on U.S. television, declined to comment. Eight of a scheduled 24 episodes have still to be shot for the TV season ending in May.

CBS last week ordered extra episodes of its comedies "Mike and Molly" and "Rules of Engagement" to fill the gap if Sheen could not return, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Sheen on Wednesday thanked network executives, fans and those who work on the show for their support. "I have a lot of work to do to be able to return the support I have received from so many people," the actor said in a statement.

Sheen is having counseling and treatment at his home rather than entering an in-patient rehab facility.

The highest-paid actor on U.S. television, Sheen has had two other stints in rehab in the past 12 months, causing a temporary halt to production of "Two and a A Half Men" in February 2010.